School Begins

An Ping let out a soft breath. Just as he had expected, the book could indeed be opened, and the runes on its cover truly were a form of writing.

After browsing through it all afternoon, he had roughly figured out a few things. The contents were simply too bizarre, though, and had absolutely nothing to do with Soul Masters.

It recorded the knowledge required for a profession known as a Witch: 100 Questions for Shaman Apprentices, Introduction to the Shaman World, The Relationship Between Meditation Methods, Spiritual Power, and Magic Power, Miscellaneous Notes, Travels Across Planes, and so on, as well as a Meditation Method called Energy Circulation Flow.

He closed the book and returned it to his body. An Ping had gained a rough understanding of what a Witch was. In summary, it was a Seeker of Knowledge who pursued truth as the ultimate goal.

Since he would be reporting to Red Mountain Academy the next day, An Ping hurriedly ate dinner and lay down on his bed to rest. His yearning for Witches inevitably left his mind unsettled, but rationality kept him from immediately attempting that Meditation Method. Amid those complicated feelings, he gradually drifted into sleep.

Early the next morning, An Ping got up, washed, finished breakfast, and hurried out the door.

By the time An Ping arrived at the entrance of Red Mountain Academy, the teacher for the Soul Master class had already set up a desk and was waiting to receive the students. She was a woman dressed in the academy uniform, appearing to be under thirty, and she was this year's homeroom teacher, Lin Ximeng.

"Hello, Teacher. This is my certificate." An Ping stepped forward and handed her the certificate issued by the Spirit Receiver yesterday.

"Little one, why didn't your family come to see you off?" Lin Ximeng asked gently as she examined the certificate.

"I don't have any family."

"I'm sorry. I brought up something painful." Lin Ximeng looked at An Ping apologetically.

"It's fine. Being alone is pretty good too." An Ping waved his hand unconcernedly.

Little did An Ping know that, in Lin Ximeng's eyes, his actions made him look like a child pretending to be grown up. She chatted with him for a few more sentences as though teasing a child.

People gradually arrived until everyone was finally present. There were only sixteen students in this year's Soul Master class.

Lin Ximeng first led everyone to their classroom. After explaining that she needed to submit their documents to the academy for filing, she hurried away.

Standing at the back, An Ping watched the chattering children discuss their respective Martial Souls.

The most energetic among them was a Little Fatty whose Martial Soul was a short blade. He kept pulling people over to ask what their Martial Souls were before boasting about his own.

"Hey, what's your Martial Soul?"

"It's Blue Silver Grass, the same as the ancestor who founded the Tang Sect."

Watching the scene before him, An Ping found it even more real than when he had read the novel. He gently shook his head, unwilling to join in. He summoned his Martial Soul, found a seat, and began flipping through it.

Sensing a shadow fall over him, he looked up and saw a handsome Little Boy. It was Tang Wulin, along with that Little Fatty.

"Hey, what's your Martial Soul? What level is your Innate Soul Power?" Little Fatty asked with an arrogant expression.

"This one. Level six." An Ping raised the book in his hand, indicating that it was his Martial Soul.

"Tch. Your Soul Power Level is pretty high, but what a shame. It's another useless Martial Soul, maybe even worse than Blue Silver Grass." With that, he turned and headed back toward the crowd, apparently intending to ask someone else about their Martial Soul.

An Ping shook his head, completely unconcerned.

"Hello, my name is Tang Wulin. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."

An Ping nodded. "An Ping. My Martial Soul is this book."

After greeting each other, he continued reading.

Tang Wulin looked at the mysterious, impressive-looking runes in the book and asked, "An Ping, can I ask what these rune-like things are?"

An Ping was about to answer when he suddenly thought of the Divine Sense within Tang Wulin. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Well, I don't really know what they are either. After all, it's my Martial Soul. I'm just casually flipping through it and studying it."

As he spoke, he put away his Martial Soul and gestured to Tang Wulin that the teacher had returned. Tang Wulin quickly sat properly.

"Hello, everyone. I am your homeroom teacher, Lin Ximeng. For the next three years, I will teach you knowledge related to Soul Masters. First, introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, Martial Soul, and Innate Soul Power Level." Lin Ximeng walked onto the platform, glanced around, and spoke softly.

"My name is Wan Yunchao. My Martial Soul is a blade, and my Innate Soul Power is level five. If I become a Titled Douluo in the future, I'll be called the Blade God Douluo." This was the Little Fatty who had been showing off everywhere.

"Then Wan Yunchao, you'll have to work hard." Lin Ximeng replied with a smile.

"My name is Tang Wulin. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and my Innate Soul Power is level three." This drew a burst of laughter.

"My name is Zhou Shaolong..."

There were only sixteen people, so it was soon An Ping's turn. He stood and said, "My name is An Ping. An as in safety, Ping as in peace. My Martial Soul is a book, and my Innate Soul Power is level six."

The mention of level-six Innate Soul Power drew a round of surprised murmurs. After all, the highest among those present had been Wan Yunchao's level five, while most of the others hovered around levels three and four.

"Alright, quiet down. An Ping's Innate Soul Power is indeed quite high, but what matters most is that class is beginning now. For the first lesson, I'll give you a preliminary explanation of Martial Soul classifications this morning, then guide you through meditation this afternoon. Meditation is the only way to increase Soul Power, so those of you who wish to become Soul Masters must take it seriously this afternoon."

"As everyone knows, every person in this world has their own Martial Soul. Martial Souls awaken at the age of six and can take any form. Those born with Innate Soul Power can become Soul Masters."

"Martial Souls can generally be divided into two major categories: Weapon Martial Souls and Beast Martial Souls."

As she spoke, she wrote Beast Martial Soul and Weapon Martial Soul on the blackboard.

"Those that manifest in living forms are Beast Martial Souls, while those that manifest in nonliving forms are Weapon Martial Souls."

As she spoke, she wrote living and nonliving beneath Beast Martial Soul and Weapon Martial Soul respectively.

"There is also a relatively special type of Martial Soul. This type manifests as a person's body or a part of their body, and it is called an Ontological Martial Soul. However, Ontological Martial Souls are extremely rare."

As she spoke, she wrote Ontological Martial Soul at the side.

"Soul Masters can also generally be divided into two major categories: Battle Soul Masters and Tool Soul Masters. Those who cultivate primarily for combat are Battle Soul Masters, while those who cultivate primarily for noncombat purposes are Tool Soul Masters. Whether Soul Masters or Martial Souls, they can also be divided into many other smaller categories..."

She also explained the Support System, Control System, Defense System, Power Attack System, Agile Attack System, and so on.

She also spoke of Soul Engineers, Mecha Masters, Battle Armor Masters, and the like.

There were also classifications such as Forging Masters and designers.

As Lin Ximeng explained Martial Souls and Soul Masters, the students below seemed as though the door to a new world had been opened for them, listening with great interest. Only An Ping summoned his Martial Soul and held a pen as if diligently taking notes, while in reality, he was reading the book's contents.